Grammar – Present Perfect III: How long have you …. ?

Many English learners struggle to understand the present perfect tense. It doesn’t exist in many other languages, so it is difficult to remember when to use it in English. It is easier to understand the present perfect tense if you can remember the different situations in which it can be used.

Life Experiences

You can use the present perfect to talk about your life experiences: places you have visited and things you’ve done in the past. I will explain this in three parts:

How long have you … ?

You can use the present perfect tense when you want to talk about how long you have done something, or for what amount of time you have done something. It is used to talk about an action that began in the past and continues up to the present (and will probably continue in the future). This is the important thing to remember about using the present perfect in this situation: the activity, action, or event is still going on. It has not finished.

I have lived in Paris for 7 years.

I have been a vegetarian since I was a young boy.

I have worked for this company for 4 months.

I have loved you since the day I met you!

We have been married for 30 years.

Remember: The simple past is used to talk about an action that started and FINISHED in the past. The present perfect is used to talk about an action that started in the past and CONTINUES in the present.

Compare:

I have studied French for 10 years. (present perfect)

(I started studying French 10 years ago, and I am still studying it now.)

I studied French for 10 years. (simple past)

(I started studying French 10 years ago. I finished studying French 2 years ago. I am not studying French now.)

Did you notice that I used for 10 years in the above example. Why did I use for? Could I have used since in the above examples?

for + a period of time:
for 6 years, for 5 months, for 4 days, for a long time

since + a point in time in the past:
since 2008, since I was a child, since last month, since yesterday.

I could have used since, but only with the present perfect:

I have studied French since 2000.

X: I studied French since 2000.

Did you notice that none of these sentences include ago? Ago is not used with the present perfect. It is used with the simple past.

Comments

That was the best explanation about Present Perfect I’ve seen …
thanks Melanie.. you’ve helped me alot. I started my english studies two years ago, and present perfect and phrasel verbs are always a big problem… everyday i “come” here and study grammar and listening … you do a great job.. thank you !!!

Dear Melanie,
could you help me with the following question: How long has India been a British colony or: How long was India a British colony? In my opinion the first one sounds right, but according to the rules it should be “was”. Though I once learnt that “how long” is always used with the present perfect tense… if that’s true.

Could you clarify this question for me?? I’d like to thank you very much in advance.

There is no rule that “how long” is always used with the present perfect tense. It is only used with the present perfect if an action started in the past AND continues in the present.

I don’t think India is still considered a British colony. It’s part of the British Commonwealth, but not a colony. It was a colony in the past, so the correct sentence uses the past tense:
“How long was India a British colony?”

You can use BOTH the present perfect continuous for this sentence. Both are equally correct.
“I’ve worked here for 10 years.”
“I’ve been working here for 10 years.”

The best explanation I can find is in the book ‘Practical English Usage’ by Michael Swan. (http://astore.amazon.com/english0f-20/detail/019442099X)
It says (page 447):
“We use progressive/continuous forms mostly for shorter, temporary actions & situations. When we talk about longer-lasting or permanent situations, we often prefer the present perfect.”
“Progressive and simple tenses are sometimes both possible, with a slight difference of emphasis.”
“We generally use the progressive to talk about continuous change or development, even if this is permanent.”

I’d just like to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU for your wonderful site. I’m an English teacher and to be honest, I find teaching the perfect tenses challenging. I’ve read SO MANY grammar books and searched the internet for a very long time to find an effective way to teach this – I can honestly say, I’m delighted to have stumbled upon your website. You’re clear and concise and you’re explanations are excellent. Thank you so much for creating this amazing resource for teachers and students alike.

Melanie Recommends …

About Melanie

I help English learners move from the classroom into the real world by teaching you real world sentences and helping you understand natural spoken English. I also help you find the best study tips and training techniques that work for you!